Perry said his goal is to make abortions in Texas as rare as possible under existing law.

He said he supports a bill that will be considered by the state legislature to ban abortion after 20 weeks, the point at which some doctors believe a fetus can feel pain.

"We believe unborn children deserve respect and recognition before their lives are cut short," he said.

The governor also wants lawmakers to pass a bill that would require doctors who perform abortions to have an agreement with local hospitals, allowing them to admit a woman undergoing an abortion in case of an emergency. In addition, he wants clinics where abortions are performed to become licensed as ambulatory surgical centers.

Outside the news conference, pro-choice activists said the governor is putting politics above the lives of Texas women.

"I think it's because he's trying to shore up his base in the right-wing extreme in preparation for another presidential run in the Republican Party," said Poppy Northcutt, president of Houston Area How.

According to the governor's office, 10 states have already passed a ban on abortion after 20 weeks.

Copyright 2012 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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